How we overturned a £14,000 water bill for Ravensdale Junior School.

Learn how persistence from our Bill Validation and Water Procurement teams helped avoid a huge water bill after a school fire.

Read time - 2 minutes

How we overturned a £14,000 water bill for Ravensdale Junior School.

What Ravensdale Junior School thought

We have benefitted from significant savings by switching our energy and water to Zenergi. But more than that, the team helped to alleviate the shock and distress of an arson attack by taking care of managing everything for us and avoiding us having to pay a significant water bill."

Melanie Albut

School Business Manager

Ravensdale Junior School

What we think

Billing issues can be a huge burden - especially after a crisis like a school fire. Our team’s persistence meant the invoice was written off completely, proving the value of having someone in your corner when the unexpected happens."

Rebecca Thomson

Service Excellence Director

When Ravensdale Junior School in Derby, part of Transform Multi-Academy Trust, received a water invoice that was significantly higher than usual, we got to work to investigate the cause. The culprit? A fire at an adjoining school on the site had been put out using Ravensdale Junior School’s water supply. We stepped in to resolve the issue, achieving an outstanding result for the school.

A team effort

Since 2017, the deregulation of the water market has allowed schools to access better prices for water. By joining our water scheme in 2020, Ravensdale Junior School, along with other Transform Trust sites, gained access to savings, bill validation, and benchmarking services to help manage its utility costs.

In October 2020, a £14,000 water invoice was flagged as unusually high during our routine bill validation check. Our team immediately launched an investigation and uncovered the cause: over the course of a day and a half, the fire brigade had drawn water from Ravensdale Junior School’s supply to extinguish a blaze at a neighbouring school.

Making an impact

We worked closely with the supplier to investigate and resolve the issue. Our team provided detailed evidence of the circumstances that had caused the high usage. After several follow ups, thanks to our team’s persistence, we successfully negotiated with the supplier to have the £14,000 invoice written off in its entirety.

Driving results

This outcome highlights the value of having a dedicated energy partner on your side. Our proactive approach ensures that unusual issues like these don’t slip through the cracks. The Ravensdale team could focus on supporting their school community, knowing we had the matter under control.

With our ongoing support, Ravensdale Junior School continues to benefit from streamlined utility management and greater financial certainty.

£ 14,000

water bill written off

Water Procurement

Navigating the complexities of water procurement can be time-consuming and challenging, with countless supplier options, varying service levels, diverse quotes, and differing payment terms to consider. Our team simplifies the process by providing like-for-like comparison quotes, ensuring transparency and informed decision-making. We can also offer bill validation and benchmarking of your consumption, identifying any potential inefficiencies or leaks.

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Bill Validation

We'll identify any possible discrepancies in energy and water bills, ensuring the numbers are based on accurate usage data and guaranteeing the correct rates are being applied. We'll safeguard you from potential financial losses while allowing more informed and accurate budgeting and forecasting.

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